A Kitchen Built on Bread, Community,
and the Beartooths
Bringing small-batch sourdough and local food to Red Lodge since 2018
In 2018, Asano Otsu founded Samurai Sue’s Everyday Foods as a wholesale operation dedicated to offering small-batch, locally made goods to retailers in Montana. Starting with slow-fermented sourdough breads, hearty breakfast items, and healthy grab-and-go lunches, she quickly became known for quality and creativity grounded in place.
In 2024, Asano welcomed Maya Daley as co-owner. Drawn together by a shared love of sourdough, sustainable practices, and the snowy backcountry of the Beartooths, the pair turned their passion into purpose—and a growing community of customers who crave honest food made with care.
By 2025, Asano and Maya took a leap and opened their first retail space. The goal? Expand their offerings, build deeper ties to local food systems, and provide consistent, year-round work for a small but mighty crew of kitchen staff. Today, you’ll still find them in the kitchen—mixing dough, rolling burritos, and dreaming up new recipes that fuel adventurers, locals, and visitors alike.
With Community in Mind
Asano Otsu, Co-Owner
Asano’s love for food is rooted in a lifelong drive to create. Her cooking blends New American flavors with Japanese influences, drawn from her childhood memories and shaped by her background in outdoor education with Outward Bound Wilderness and decades of work with businesses and organizations in Red Lodge.
Her creativity shines in everything from signature sourdough breads to small-batch condiments, and her dedication to craft and community is at the heart of Samurai Sue’s. When she’s not slinging dough or experimenting with a new recipe, you’ll likely find her biking Red Lodge’s backroads or skiing deep into the Beartooths with her partner, Paul.
Maya Daley, Co-Owner
Maya’s relationship with baking began early—making bread with her mom in a kindergarten classroom before the school day even started. Raised in Crested Butte, CO, and mentored by her dad in the kitchen, she learned to cook by instinct, curiosity, and hands-on trial. Her path eventually led from cookie dough to sourdough, shaped by teachers and travels along the way.
In Red Lodge, Maya co-leads the kitchen’s production and recipe development, driven by a commitment to local food systems and thoughtful process. Outside the kitchen, she’s a dedicated part of the community—volunteering for DSVS, coaching the Silver Run Freeride Team, and carving turns at Red Lodge Mountain with her partner, Ben.
We’re proud to offer year-round, meaningful work for
a dedicated team who care about food
and community as much as we do.
Think Samurai Sue’s might be a good fit for you?